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COLUMBIA, South Carolina (Reuters) - South Carolina Democrats cast votes on Saturday in a bitter presidential nominating race, with Barack Obama leading rival Hillary Clinton in polls and counting on heavy black support to carry him to a needed victory.

Record turnout of more than 300,000 is expected in the first Democratic primary in the South, where black voters are likely to make up about half of the electorate. Polls close at 7 p.m. EST, with results available soon afterward.

"I am absolutely convinced that we can win here, and we can win anywhere in the country," Obama, an Illinois senator, said at a late-night rally in Columbia that capped a week spent campaigning heavily across the state.

South Carolina is the latest test for Obama and Clinton, a New York senator, in their escalating battle for the right to represent the Democratic Party in November's presidential election.

Jan. 25 - With the rigors of running for President, White House hopefuls are not always on-message. Barack Obama is third presidential candidate to appear on "The Late Show" this month....a sign that having a sense of humor -- and being a little "off-message" doesn't always hurt when running for President.